In a 2023-24 season which has had some low points already, it arguably reached its nadir in Tuesday night’s grim home defeat to Preston, which prompted discernible anger from not only supporters, but chairman Kevin Nagle and manager Darren Moore.

As someone who usually backs his players, Moore made a marked departure and criticised their display in midweek, pointing the finger at them.

With anger being the operative word this week, defender Michal Helik stressed that the players were also annoyed with themselves at their level of performance, which is perhaps the most important thing as they take collective responsibility.

Huddersfield Town defender Michal Helik, pictured after scoring a late equaliser at Coventry City in September. Picture: PA

It is now about coming up with a reaction, with Town facing successive away games at Millwall and Norwich.

After the understandable opprobrium from fans in the last two matches at the John Smith’s Stadium, it may be no bad thing.

Helik said: "It is not only the chairman, the gaffer and the fans, I think everyone feels angry because there are no people in the building who want a result more than the players on the pitch.

"We want to perform and in the end, it’s on us on the pitch. We’re the first ones who are angry after the results we have.

"The results are not only bad for a coach, but everyone. We want to bring results for the fans, gaffer and the whole staff, groundsmen, kitmen - and for us.

"First of all, we want to show a reaction from the last game and bring better results to the club.”Town are hovering just above the bottom three following their midweek setback and in the midst of a second successive relegation fight as it stands, if things don’t change soon.

For Helik, it could well be the third successive campaign when he has fought against the drop since heading to English football and joining Barnsley in September 2020.

That said, he believes that Town are not in as bad a position as this time last year, or the situation which the Reds found themselves in at this stage of 2021-22.

He added: "I think at the moment we are not in that bad situation as we were last season. We need to take a lesson from last season and avoid that situation.

"The ambitions in the club are much higher than the results are at the moment. I think that’s from everyone at the club."

Millwall v Huddersfield Town: 'It's on us on the pitch': Michal Helik reveals players' anger at Terriers' downturn